Would That I Could See, But Not Feel

I was expecting the same experience with my left eye after cataract surgery as I had with my right eye. I had no reason to expect anything else. But this is not like last time around. My eye feels like a I have a sharp pebble embedded in it so that, every time I blink, the pebble scratches the surface of my eye. My blurred vision, what little there is, almost to the point that I see only light, no shapes.

I will return to the ophthalmologist this morning for my follow-up visit. He told me yesterday there’s a scratch on the surface that will take thirty-six hours or more to heal and, therefore, my vision will be blurry until then. I only hope he’s right. Maybe I’m overly sensitive to pain and blindness, but I have to say I do not like this situation, I do not like this at all.

Before the second surgery, I could see “close up” through my one “normal” eye (the one that went under the knife yesterday) by holding items close. Not so any longer. I bought a pair of drug-store eyeglasses yesterday, so I can see reasonably well “close up” with the eye that underwent surgery earlier, but it’s not quite as clear as it was before.

There’s nothing else wrong with me, but the injury to my eye has the effect of making me feel cranky and out of sorts and, because of the sensation of a pebble in my eye, prone to want to sleep just so I can avoid the pain/irritation in my eye. I would make a horrible patient in need of constant care; I would drive myself, and anyone near me, crazy. I’m counting down the hours, hoping the doctor is right.